border-left

The border-left shorthand CSS property sets all the properties of an element's left border.

As with all shorthand properties, border-left always sets the values of all of the properties that it can set, even if they are not specified. It sets those that are not specified to their default values. This means that ...

border-left-style: dotted;
border-left: thick green;

... is actually the same as ...

border-left-style: dotted;
border-left: none thick green;

... and the value of border-left-style given before border-left is ignored. Since the default value of border-left-style is none, not specifying the border-style part results in no border.

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

• border-left-color
• border-left-style
• border-left-width

Syntax

border-left: 1px;
border-left: 2px dotted;
border-left: medium dashed blue;

/* Global values */
border-left: inherit;
border-left: initial;
border-left: revert;
border-left: unset;

The three values of the shorthand property can be specified in any order, and one or two of them may be omitted.

Values

<br-width>

See border-left-width.

<br-style>

See border-left-style.

<color>

See border-left-color.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

<line-width> || <line-style> || <color>
where 
<line-width> = <length> | thin | medium | thick
<line-style> = none | hidden | dotted | dashed | solid | double | groove | ridge | inset | outset
<color> = <rgb()> | <rgba()> | <hsl()> | <hsla()> | <hex-color> | <named-color> | currentcolor | <deprecated-system-color>
where 
<rgb()> = rgb( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgb( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<rgba()> = rgba( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgba( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<hsl()> = hsl( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsl( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )
<hsla()> = hsla( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsla( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )
where 
<alpha-value> = <number> | <percentage>
<hue> = <number> | <angle>

Examples

Applying a left border

HTML

<div>
  This box has a border on the left side.
</div>

CSS

div {
  border-left: 4px dashed blue;
  background-color: gold;
  height: 100px;
  width: 100px;
  font-weight: bold;
  text-align: center;
}

Results

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• border
• border-block
• outline
• Backgrounds and borders
• Learn CSS: Backgrounds and borders